Ferrets and Otters
by spontaneousviolentlove
Summary: Hermione has to deal with something she never thought would happen. Falling for the enemy. ""You alright?" "Yeah." "You're lying."" DM/HG I don't own HP. R
1. Chapter 1

It had been along summer. My mother left and my father slowly fell to alcohol. Every evening he left and at dawn, the first sight of light, he would stumble through the door, frosted out of his mind. He stopped treating me like his daughter. One night, a few days before I was to go back to school, I dropped a glass.

"You idiot! Clean it up!" He grabbed the towel I was holding.

"You dropped it, you pick it up." he sneered. I cut up my hands pretty bad.

Finally, the day I would go back to school arrived. You see, I didnt go to just any school, I went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That's right, I'm a witch. My name is Hermione Granger and this would be my sixth year. I never unpacked when I came home in June, so I didn't have to worry about leaving anything.

My father was driving drunk. He laughed as I relaxed when we pulled in the train station. I pulled my trunk out of the boot. At the thump of the door closing, I was shoved to the ground, my 'caring' father standing over me.

"Ya tink ya somtin specal. Doncha?" I looked at his lopsided grin. His speech slurred too much.

He kicked me. Again and again. He kicked me so hard I felt a rib crack. He didnt stop. Oh no, that would have been too convenient, too nice. He beat the crap out of me. And when he was satisfied I'd 'learned my lesson,' he collapsed into the car. Blowing me a kiss, he reved the engine and ran over my hand. I didn't have the strength to cry out, the pain all consuming. He nearly missed my head as he sped off, hitting a pole along the way.

I made my way slowly to Platform 9 3/4. The whistle blew as I stumbled through the barrier. I hauled my trunk to the train, the pain in my hand the only thing in my head. I found an empty compartment and collapsed on one of the seats. I took a deep breath and finally looked at my hand. Several peices of glistening bone stuck out against all the blood. God, it hurt like hell. I did a simple concealing charm, to hide the bruises, and fell asleep.

A few hours later, the trolly lady came by. I said I was fine and she left. My head was throbbing but my hand was strangely numb. I finally opened my eyes. Sitting across from me, staring so intensely I thought hed burn a hole through me, was the one and only, Draco Malfoy. He was the last person, besides Harry and Ron, I wanted to deal with right now.

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

"You're lying." he stood, "I fixed your hand and wrapped it. You should change the bandage after dinner." He left.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Some students outside my compartment were talking about Harry. Big suprise there. First years. I rolled my eyes. A few minutes more and they ran off. The door slid back, and Malfoy stepped in. Quietly closing the door, he sat across from once again.

"Uh... thank you. For my hand." I was so tired. couldnt he just leave.

"Welcome. We wont be at the castle for few more hours. You should get some sleep. Ill wake you before we stop so you can change."

He was being way too nice. Was he planning something?

We sat in silence for a while and I drifted off. True to his word, he woke me with enough time to change into my uniform. He was waiting for me when I walked out to the corridor. No one else was on the train.

"I saved us a carraige. Come on." he gently took my good hand and led me to the platform, a single carriage waiting for us.

When we arrived at the castle, I didnt feel like dealing with the nosey Gryffindors so instead, I went to the Infirmary. Poppy fussed over me and my hand. She took the concealment charm off and a small gasp behind had me turning my head. Draco had followed me. The look in his grey-blue eyes made me look away. I couldnt handle it. It was what I tried to avoid. Poppy shooed him out. She sat on a bed furthest away from the door and forced me to drink Dreamless Sleep. A few minutes later, I was out.


	2. Chapter 2

Light woke me. Harsh and unyeilding as it struck my face. Someone was talking to me. Whispering nothingness and stroking my hand.

"I'll protect you... You'll be okay."

Everything was silent and I fell back to black numbness.

The sun woke me, hours later. The air was clean and the bed soft. Where am I? I opened my eyes to white. The only sound, the soft snoring beside me. My hand, incased in a slightly larger, paler one, was held as if it may break. Turning my head, was more than a little startled to find Malfoy, slumped in a chair beside me. I felt dizzy, the room spinning around me. I fell back to the pillows.

"I must be dreaming. There is no way," closing my eyes, "that Malfoy, Draco Malfoy is sitting next to me, hold my hand, in the infirmary and snoring."

He shifted, opening his pale eyes.

"Morning." he stretched his long arms above his head. He yawned and smiled.

He's kinda hot when he's half asleep and smiling like that... No, no. Bad Hermione. You can not think that Draco Malfoy, pureblood snot, is hot. Ever. I mentally kicked myself.

"what are you doin' here?"

"I brought your class work. You've been out the last week. Poppy said you wouldn't wake up. She got so worried, she wouldn't let anyone see you. Dumbledore gave me permisson because we're both Prefects." He shrugged.

I stared, dumbfounded. He was being nice again. But... he hates me. Doesn't he? God, I'm confused. Wait. It must be some twisted Slytherin dare or something. Yeah, that had to be it. I could just hear them too, "Ten sickles you can't get her to kiss ya." "We'll see." And they shake hands or whatever and smile evil little smiles.

"Um... thanks, I think." He bobbed his head and left. "Well, that was frickin' wierd."

A few days later Poppy pronounced me fit to leave. Classes were the same as always, only no one, not one single person Gryffindor or other wise, asked me what happened or if I was okay. They only talked to me if they needed help on some homework or other. I wanted to pull my hair and scream at them.

The day I got out, Potions was just before lunch break. I wanted to make sure the homework Draco so kindly brought me, was right. I walked to Prof. Snape's office, gently knocked on the door and waited for the usual, "What?" It came five minutes later.

"What do you need Miss Granger?" Snarky and greasy as ever.

"I wanted to make sure the work brought to me during my infirmary stay is correct." Polite, must stay calm and polite.

"Of course you do." He looked over the papers I had, "It's all there and in order. Now, leave."

So he didn't try to screw me over... I would have thought...

Shaking my head, I walked into the Potions room. Everyone already sitting in their little groups. Gryffindor on one side, Slytherin on the other. And right between the two houses, one table, empty remained. I sighed and took one seat. The late bell rang and Malfoy flew through the door. Immediately taking a seat beside me. Whispers flew throughout the entire period. Snape chose to make no comment.

"BOOM!"

"Mr. Longbottom!"

"It wasn't me!"

"What?"

Everyone looked to me and Draco. The flame had been too high. I tried to tell him, he ignored me, our potion blew up. Now, we stand in the middle of the room, covered in blue and green goo. A rancid, foul tasting blue smoke filled the room.

"All students, out! Now."

We made it to the hall. Neville seemed releived it wasn't him.

"Does everyone have their partner?"

Looking around, everyone but me did.

"Draco's not here."

Snape swept back into the room, not before telling us to get checked out by Poppy.

"They found huddled under his desk."

"He was crying the whole way to the infirmary."

"He ingested some of whatever it was they were making."

Rumors had started before all of were cleared by Poppy. The girls said I blew up out of jealsey. Everyone else said he blew it up for attention. The teachers didn't blame anyone but Snape, the vial was cracked.

As the lights went out for the night, I snuck out. I couldn't sleep. Malfoy was possibly injured and no one but me seemed to give a rat's ass. Wierd. I must be more tired than I thought. Am I starting to like him...? Hope not. It was strange really. In all our arguing, we learned quite a bit about each other. We veiwed life and death the same, we both hated our parents and silently respected each other. I won't ever admit it though. I tripped on a loose stone and caught myself on a bench. I was outside the infirmary.

What the... Why did I end up here? Crap... Well, since I'm here might as well check on him. It's the least I can do. I opened the door and poked my head in. Lying on the third bed on the right, was Malfoy. I slipped in and pulled a chair next to him. The moon cast a faint pale glow around the room, making everything more translusent, more dreamy.

I sat down, not really knowing what to do. He looked to peaceful and innocent. Strange, I always thought... I shook my head. My feelings had been changing alot lately. Best not to dwell on it. He moved suddenly, mumbling as sweat rolled down his face. I smoothed his hair away from his face, drawing tiny circles on his hand. My mother did it when I was sick. He relaxed a bit, still mumbling.

We sat like that. Me rubbing his hand, his snoring breaking the silence. It was wierd, comforting someone who never seemed to like me. It was well past midnight when his eyes fluttered open. He looked at me and smiled slightly. I must have looked more worried than I thought.

"I'll be okay... I didn't get any of that stuff, whatever it was. Did Snape even tell us what it was?"

"No, he didn't."

He touched my cheek lightly.

"Don't be so upset... You're too beautiful to have your face all scrunched up." He smiled and I didn't know what to do.

He sat up, resting against the pillows and we talked. He asked about my hand but I blew him off. We sat there, staring at each other. It was awkward and slightly embarrassing. The sun was coming up, I had to get back to my dorm. I stood, hearing Poppy in her office.

"You should go... don't want you getting in trouble for keeping me company and all." He looked at me, that small smile resting on his lips.

He doesn't... want me to... get in trouble?

"Will you be in classes later?"

"I don't know."

I smiled alittle. His smile widend a fraction. Kissing my cheek, he told me to go. I did, what else is a girl to do?

He wasn't in class that day, or the next.

"That stuff that blew up, killed him."

"His parents took him home, they won't tolerate irresponcability."

"A peice of glass was lodged in his chest."

"That girl, what's-her-name, went and killed him."

"I heard there was blood all over the place."

Rumors got worse. Everyone blamed me, except the teacehrs of course. I went by with his classwork, but he wasn't in the infirmary.

"Poppy?"

The nurse looked at me, then told the first year turning different colors not to eat anything from a Weasley again. After making sure he drank the foulest smelling potion, she waved me to her office.

"Where's Draco?"

"His parents had him move to St. Mungos." She closed the door. "They wanted only the best for their son. Said we were careless and irresponsable. Tch, really now." She shrugged, sitting behind her desk and shuffling papers.

"Will he be back?"

She shrugged again and told me to get back to class, not to worry so much.


End file.
